Switch lock



Oct. 13, 1931. c. cHRl'TENsEN SWITCH LOCK Filed June 7, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet l 0d. 13, 1931. Q CHRlsTENsEN 1,826,733

SWITCH LOCK Filed June 7, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 el JM@ @www Wwf/W @y mis.

- Oct. 13, 1931. c. cHRlsTr-:NSEN

SWITCH LOCK v s Sheets-sheet s Filed June '7, 1923 @illustrating a Preferred 3:5 gli-therein;

Patented Oct. 1,3;

.cnia'isnii c iiaisfrrzitsnit,y ENGINEERSFEQUIPMEN? VILInzirors f Appncation med :une I7,

gTzhe present invention relates to switch Vvflocks,having,particular refere'ncejto 'locks Vfor disconnecting switches,1such as are used i' s' in power transmission systems. :fThe lock of.

5) my invention is suitable.

- si vThe `fundamental objecto the invention e is to improve'thezlock mechanism vorswitches of this class by'reducing the vnumber off-op- C'3"1`9Alei'ating .partsand byremovingcertain of these parts from between the switch blades Y -and Vdisposing *them outside )ofthe blades,

' f'c'whed/reby larger' parts may be employed and @a more .rug-ged vand serviceable vconstruction 'lflobtained v A further yw1eatherproofing Character.; 1 .1, y

" i Referring to :the accompanying drawings Y embodiment of vmy ulock :mechanismof this v "vinventiont f `r"lzf-igure 1. `iillustrates in'. side elevationan 'exemplary form `of vertical switch with ymy improvedv locking :mechanism rembodied Figure 2A'is",a front vor-eiilgev-viewaof thev l 'i' Figure 3 is an-enlarged section'alf'view 1italeily approximately onthe planelof 1 Figure 4c islatransverse sectional `lview tak- Leri onthe plane of line A114-4 of lFigure 7 italien on the plane of line `5*5'OFigure:3;

' 35 Figure 6 isa transverse sectional view tak# en on vthe plane of line 6 4-*6 of 'Figure 3";

, Figure ATisaii solated .perspective `View of.

'the 'latch or locking bolt; Y

ofa'mQdlCa-tlon; H i y A l Y Figure 9 is a medial sectional view oa diferent form .of lock .releasingmember ;k n l,F. igurelOis avfragmentary view., .similaij ift Yto Fig@ .3, illustrat ng anotherfmodified 'construction;` -f K `f j t, yjF-igure V11isa bottom rplan viewzfofi-,he 100k :releasing member employed in I igureflO,

and 50 1 Fig; 121is-a fragmentary elevationalview ion CHICAGO, .com ANY, or

forV ibotlioutdoor l p l`rported onjthejinsulator.15, {Theupperend I y, Y .sides ofthe/@terminals ,object '.is'to .provide means forv i Y lcontact betweenthe terminal 13.-

:with a locking 'hook or Y "f per vedge havinganfnclined front yface "for j .I Y locking bolt'u'p over thetop ofi f The' lQkingboltor. latch is indicated at!25,5;andis'fdisposed: for recipro'f '89 Figure 'f5 isa longitudinal lsectionalView Y *or reciprocating motion Y switch -ILLiNoiS, `AS'sidi'iovit y"ro iinncmiin fswncn Locxr )with two eyes;

showing the lock. releasing member providedv v Yreferring te Figure the *Switch ifi .is

pivoted at .its lower .end oni. a jpivjot bolt'12 passing through a pivot terminal 13 suplo the switch 11v engageswitha contact ter# min'al 16, which tor 17.` The `vtwo insulators'l and 17 fare' mountedin anyv suitable -ma-nner ujpona mounting base,v 18 which is adapted to vbe,"v se? cured to the pole-,top or ltoweinfj j v, 'The switch 1l is loiiiltup' 'offjtwo spaced is supported on aninsiila-v blades 19--19 vwhich,engageo ver opposite j `173 and-16. Spring washers 121 engage under thev heads'. of Tthe pivot bolt 12 and producea lightpressiire blades 19 immediately below ,the-uppercom blades 1'19-419 i" and the Y A bolt22 passes-throughthe two 70 tact terminal 16', and ,has'si'milarg spring washers V23 vfor'obtainingr a resilient 4pressure betweentheselblades and1tli'esijdesofrtherter- 4 d I d The PPf' 'C'O' ,tact-airmail "isisl treed camming the r,the vhooki2ll.

`eatingr motion .between the. :upperk freelen'ds *of the; switch blades 19. f This lockingbolt is betweenl the switch blades by afpaii"4 of'transverse bolts-,26 en- Ficrure 8 -isl a lfragmentary sectional viewk gagng'lon eah Side'oftheilokng'boltfandby in reducedape'rtures in the switchzbladesfthe A,enlarged portion of the pin serving-Lash a y y t .and nis'fof` VT-shapedfo'utline having overhanginfg arms I spacer between the switch blades to prevent the switch blades from binding the action ot' the locking bolt 25. The two transverse bolts 26 are provided with spring washers 33 under the bolt heads on each side of the switch to urge the switch blades into close contacting relation with the contact terminal 16. This terminal 16 may be made somewhat thicker than the locking bolt softhat the pressure of the spring washers 33 is eiiective for maintaining close Contact with the terminal 16 without cramping the motion of the locking bolt.

The lock releasing member is broadly designated 34, and comprises an openrectangular portion and two spaced arms 36 eX- tending therefrom to an eye or ring 37 for receiving the hook on the end of the actuating pole. Y The lock releasing member 34 1s pivotally supported on the ends oit-the switch blades 19 by extending the pivot bolt 27 through the sides ot the open rectangular portion 35. The ends of the frame portion 35 abut the over-hanging shoulders 25 of the locking bolt, as indicated at 38, the pressure of the spring 32 drawing the shoulders of the locking bolt down against the forward edges 38 of the locking member. Y

The arms 36 of the lock releasing member project diagonally so as to dispose the eye or ring 37 above and to one side of the plane ot the switch 11, as clearly shown in Figure 1; or, instead of the diagonal arms 36, an arcuate web may be formed on Athe rectangular poror: ULI

1 haps one in the center.

Veye 37`and the switch tion 35 for receiving a plurality or eyes 377 one on each side of the switch blade and per- The switch is opened by inserting the hook on the end of the switch operating pole into the eye 37 and pulling` ownwardly. This rocks the' lock releasing member 34 around the bolt 27 as a pivot and thrusts one shoulder 38 up against the locking bolt shoulder 25.7 thereby retraoting the locking bolt from engagement with the hoolr :n e) as Y stop 24aga1nst the pressure of the spring 32. Thereafter the continued downward pull on the switch operating pole is operative to pull the switch 11 od of the contact terminal 16 and to a downward, open position. ln the reclosing of the switch the hook on the 'end of the operating hole may be reinserted into the swung upward into locking engagement with the contact terminal 16 in an obvious manner, or the hoolr on thi` end of the operating pole may be merely enl gaged with the under side of the switch bladev and the latter pushed up into locking'engagcment over the'contact terminal 16. Y

The outer ends of the switch blades 1919 are rounded to permit the forward edges of ,the shoulders 38 to revolve around the ends of the bladesj andthe rear inner edges of the frame portion 35 are chamfered back at 40 to prevent striking against the edges of the blades'upon the initial turning of the lock :besef/ee releasing member 34. It is however to be noted that the chamfered edges 40 engage the respective sides of the blade, upon the continued turning ot the release member 34, thereby limitingthe extent of movement of the release member with respect to the blades. This prevents the stressing of the bolt 25 and the bolt 27, which would otherwise be brought into engagement with one another. At this time the member 25 is out of engagement with the shoulder 24 and further pulling upon the release member causes it to move as a unit with the 4switch blade about the pivot bolt 12. The two transverse ybolts 26 with their spring washers 33 hold the blades in intimate contact with the contact terminal 16 but do not permit the width of the terminal to spread the ends of the blades against theinner sidesof the lock releasing portion 34 and thereby bind the lock releasing portion. l fj;

Also the nuts on the pivot bolt 27 may be tightened against the adjacent portions of the releasing member without affecting the {loating characteristic of the switch blades. That is to say7 the nuts on the pivot bolt 27 will'n not constrain theV outward movement of the switch blades associatedtherewith. The inner walls of the frame portion 35 will serve in a measure as a means for limiting the outward movement or the iioating blades. Thus: it will be seen that since the frame 35 is rigid no matter how tightthe nuts on the pivot bolt 27 are tightened the blades will never be pressed towards each other bythe releasing member 34. The releasing member, however;I 100 is adapted to cooperate with the bolts 26 in limiting the outward displacement of the blades that is to s( y should the bolts become loosened the frame portion 35 of the releasing member 34 will serve to limit the outward diss-105 placement of the blades.Y From this it will be also evident that by tightening the aforesaid nuts the locking bolt intermediate the blades-will not be locked or bound against operation on account of the rigidity of the; frame 35. f

It will be observed from Figure 3 that the lock releasing member 34 is universal in that it canbe mounted on the end of theiswitch blade to face in either direction. The use of 115 two releasing shoulders 38 and two overhanging shoulders 25 on the locking bolt permit ot' this reversal of the lock releasing member, and of its operation by a push or al pull from either 'side of the switch blade. This unies` 120 versally adapts the present switch to a mounting in either a vertical, horizontal or inclined position'and at any point relative'to theV direction of reach of the switchoperating pole; the ability to reverse or invert the'lock re13125 leasing member 34, enabling a standard design ot switch to be employed in any of these situations without any change of parts or construction.

In lieu ofa diagonal'extension of the opel.: 130

ginprolongationzoffthelswitch blade,as.E shown @yemas banali-sedan;

reasonfiofztlisf arrangement: fofpassage-48t Y l rectly:outgffromtheilockireleasingfmembersl- .Y modified form o rss "f 25 of the llocking illustration in Figs.

' Ilf 50 `wide. inorweb '30 I eyesf .This modification: isJo particularv advantage with with such arrangement one ofthe eyesfis always accessible whether the-switch blade is `up.or down. l

In Figure 9 which-arefpirovidedtwo theentrance ofj'rain into-theport,y 49 ,This for nifl ofi lock '.g-releasing' y membermay," I have illustrated a slightly course f lock releasing'member 34.

In this form thelock [releasing Vmember is 1 constructed as ,a substantially closed casing, 3

or at end of the switch blade and the lock releasing mechanism. The member 34. ed of two side walls 41' closed topand side by a transverse w least closed on the top for housing the is construct- A, overon the i all 43. The;

yeye 37 is formed by aligned apertures inthe 1 two side walls 41. The overhanging shoulder the sides Vof the switch blade, as inthe preceding embodiment, and -co-operatingwith these shoulders are any suitable projections 38V carried by the member 34, such as pins` or screws extending through the two side"V walls 4l. By virtue of its enclosed .'orm, f as a .j fthe the lock releasing member 34functions hood for` protecting the upper endl o switch blade andthe locking mechanism from sleet, rain, etc.

This practice of employing the lock releasprotecting the lock lock releasing member a closed,

contour which completelysurrounds the top A tending l switch blades and through which passes the pivot bolt 27. ject inwardly member for ing member as aweatherprooiing member for mechanism has further 1Q and 11.V I-Iere the 34 is constructed as flat-sided member of :bowl shaped blade; alockrglasng member formnganprpn a bolt projects out beyond Two tongues or lugs 47 profrom the ends ofthe enclosing disposal between the switch blades where Vthey are adapted to engage the shoulders 25 ofthe locking bolt.V In this,

' 25 may be extensive "with the chamber or; opening 45.1

instance the shoulders 25 do not eXtend beyond the edges of the switch blades. vEither arrangement that in each case the lugs 47 and shoulders made as thick as the spacebetween the blades, Awhich insures suiiicient strength and the proper tion. Thediagonal'arm 36 carrying the eye 37 is formed with a cored passage 48 comay -be employed,V it being noted 'f the rain and sleetdrippinginto the. same from the switchV ktire'sp blades linals 5 5a :switchlbladeffor 'connectingf Vf'f'*afing," vblade members ia bers;y the endsfof'the' 'Fi-arms projecting saidlbladeyandpositioned 'outside' the between j said Vblade members andfengageable and sides of the switch blades and locking 1 tectmg enclosure: over saldlo-ckmg member 105 bolt and-prevents the entrance ofthe weather 1 Vdown into the top of the lock'mechanism. As

shown in Fig. l1, the side walls ofthe interior chamber 45 are formed with inwardly exhubs 46 againsty which bear the 'f eyle,a"nd adrainj passage-between the'interior.`

' inggaprotecting enclosure lover: saidjljo and-port-I 49%,1when willf noti.. trap 'downwardlyfthe chambery,

accumulation-'out'thr sed? similarlyv to thepreceding formi". .Y p s The pr actie-e-'offusing-siibstantiallythe eIfI- ace bet'ween*the freeendso-the switch forthe'locking bolt,andf-piyotin-githe 100k releasing member. outside .of theswiah *3 -1 blades, as yshown in eachof'thecpreceding embodiments; hastheadyantages f of f permittingfthe use of larger and stronger parts; af simple and inexpensive construction'andjas-? .f sembly,V -and a smoothly working operation.v v l: -Iclaiincfy j' v j s "2""1; In'V combination@- a lp aifrb'f switch' ltermisaidlter-^ said blade comprising a pair y'of spacedif Tgshafped-iiusng 9 bolt'.car'riedgbetween-` said switchy blade-meir n Q yond-fthe' edges "of .-said Ablade imembers,"andrn minus;

aglockrele'asing member'piyotallyfcarried on* A vwith said locking boltiproj 'ections'out'side the s vforconnectingsaidtermi-A Y I 1als, .a`V locking member; carrledbysaid switch saidfi lock* releasing y'in i'renibier A comprising an 'of said lock releasingfmemberandf saide'ye;

. cking f member; al passage" ofr .draining said" llocksr'es Vleasing vmembei'r-when? y said switchl rblader is i' ils down,i and'means for minimizing'thef entrance of the'foreign mattersuch asirain andsleet 'into said.: passagej when:V said .switch .blade Supv a pas# Tof. wash'- fermi-26 is Combination,

saidfI switch :terminal-s, means "for retaining freedom of Opera.; Vlsaidfloating'bladesagainstfthe ysidesjoffsaid switch terminalsfa lockingzmemberdisposed between thepfreeiends of the .sw`1tch.bladesf-25 1 anda lockifrleleasingmember' having Lan oper? in the main body part. This passage has an'l outlet'port 49 opening into the interior of,

the eye 37 @1011s the sidewall thereof- BY? aaa-pied;teembrsaporueaef'gaaf-roaring m atingfarmfterminating-in aneyeaandf'socket j ends ofthe-.Switch biases.'ssiaisseketbeingag f member, said locking member `having laterallyprojecting shoulders, and said socket having shoulders co-operable with the shoulders .l of the locking member beyond the width of the blades. 1 l

5. In an electric switchfa pair of connected parallel blade members movable in unison,a lockinglath nestedbetweentheblade ,3 i member cooperating with Said members intermediate the ends thereof, said v lath having a portion projecting beyond the edges of the blade members, and a latch releasing member carried by the blade members outside of the space between the blade members, and embracing the end of the blade members, said releasing member cooperating with said projecting portion of the latch to control the latch.

6. In an electric switch, a pair of connected parallel blade members movable in unison, a terminal, the opposite sides of which are engaged by the respective blade members, a latch nested between the blade members intermedate the ends thereof, locking means on the terminal cooperating with the latch for locking the blades to the termif lock releasing member .on theoutside of the blades for controlling saidlocking latch, said lock releasing member encasing the end of the blades and forming a sleet hood therefor.

yIn lwitness whereof, I hereunto subscribe" my'namethis 24th day of May, 1923. f y CHRISTEN CIIltIS'IISl@SEN..v

nal member, said latch having a portion projecting beyond the edges of the blade members, and a latch releasing member carried by the blade members outside of the space bel tween the blade members and embracing the end of the blade members, said releasing projecting portion of the latch to control the. latch.

7. In an electric switch, a pair of switch terminals, a pair of parallel switch blades for connecting said terminals, locking means mounted between said blades for locking the blades with respect to said terminals, and a movable lock releasing member carried by and extending around both outer sides of the pair of switch blades and having an aperture therein engageable by a switch operating hoolgsaid releasing member having a limited 'movement` to each side of an intermediate normal position, and said lock being actuated alike bythe movement in either direction from the intermediate position.

8. In an electric switch, a terminal, a pair of connected parallel blade members movable in unison into and out of engagement with the opposite sides of the terminal, alatch nested between the blade members intermediate the ends thereof for locking the members with respect to said terminal, and a latch releasing member carried by the blade members outside of the space between the blade members and forming a coveringV protecting hood for the ends of said blade members and the latch,said releasing member controlling the release of the latch.

9. In a switch, a pair of blades adapted to embrace a contact between them, a reciproeating locking latch mounted between the blades for locking'the blades against movement away from the contact, and a pivoted 

